The Mayor’s proposed 2011-2012 budget substantially spares aquatics. Your vocal support for pools over the past six months made a difference. The City Council can still make changes to the budget, so letters to the Council are always good insurance.
Good news:
- No closures of pools or reductions in pool hours proposed.
- Rainier Beach pool will be replaced with a modern, multi-pool facility. During construction, RB will close for 2 years.
- Life guard hours at beaches will be maintained.
The Mayor’s budget summary forecasts unspecified fee increases (as suggested by many citizen comments), plus the following service cuts:
- Wading Pools: The 2010 mid-year budget reductions to Parks closed seven wading pools and reduced operating hours for 10, while five wading pools remained open seven days a week. The 2011-2012 Proposed Budget assumes the same operating capacity for 2011 as was offered in 2010. Wading pools at Green Lake, Lincoln, Magnuson, Van Asselt, and Volunteer Park will be open seven days a week in the summer months. Wading pools at South Park, East Queen Anne, Cal Anderson, Dahl, Delridge, Wallingford, Hiawatha, Bitter Lake, E.C. Hughes, and Sound View Parks will be open three days a week. Wading pools at Ravenna, Beacon Hill, Powell Barnett, Peppi’s Playground, View Ridge, Gilman, and Sandel Parks will remain closed in 2011.
All in all, pools survived these cuts quite well. And our predictions for the cuts were pretty good.
